Kim Kardashian West was reportedly gagged and bound while men dressed as police stole more than $10 million worth of jewelry from her Paris residence late on Sunday night.
The prosecutor's office said a ring worth an estimated $4.49 million and other jewelry valued at $5.6 million were among the items stolen. It's unclear which ring in particular was taken by the thieves, but latest reports suggest the assailants were targeting the brand-new super-size Lorraine Schwartz diamond ring Kim was given by her husband Kanye West in September.
E! News has confirmed this "second" engagement ring (she was given a 15-carat engagement ring, also by designed Schwartz, when West proposed in 2013) is made from a 20-carat emerald-cut diamond, and Kim hasn't exactly been shy about flaunting it on social media. A recent selfie, taken three days before the robbery, showed the ring in all its glory, and quickly received 1.2 million likes on Instagram.
A post shared by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian)
A photo posted by on
On Tuesday, a spokeswoman for police in Paris said this public promotion of the ring could have driven the thieves to target Kim.
"Clearly when you have a star like Kim Kardashian who has more than 48 million followers on Twitter...I think this could have happened abroad just as easily as in Paris," Johanna Primevert, chief spokeswoman for the Paris police department, told the Associated Press.
"It was really the celebrity who was targeted, with possessions that had been seen and noticed via social media, and it was these goods that the attackers targeted," she added.
Kim's Paris selfie wasn't the first time the ring had been seen on Instagram, though. Designer Schwartz shared video footage of the star wearing it, alongside her original engagement ring, three weeks ago. Schwartz confirmed it was D-Flawless and type 2A, which are said to be the purest and most valuable type of diamonds in the world.
Stay In The Know
Marie Claire email subscribers get intel on fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more. Sign up here.
A post shared by Lorraine Schwartz (@lorraineschwartz)
A photo posted by on
Kim has now safely returned to New York, noticeably without the ring, but questions around what happens next to her jewelry remain unanswered. According to a security expert, a rare diamond owned by one of the most high-profile celebrities in the world will be extremely difficult to sell.
"The stone will most likely end up broken down into smaller pieces," Lee Henderson, an intelligence officer at SaferGems, told CNN. "Otherwise it will be very difficult to sell. Nobody will want to handle it."
The police investigation into how this shocking robbery took place continues.
Follow Marie Claire on Facebook for the latest celeb news, beauty tips, fascinating reads, livestream video, and more.
-
Olivia Rodrigo Finds the Perfect Spring Dresses at Reformation
She's worn the brand twice in the past week.
By Julia Marzovilla Published
-
Curiously, Just as Meghan Markle Sends Samples of Her New Strawberry Jam Out, the Buckingham Palace Shop Starts Promoting Its Own Strawberry Jam on Social Media
The clip promoting the Buckingham Palace Shop’s product—we cannot make this up—is set to Mozart’s “Dissonance Quartet.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Zendaya's Latest 'Challengers' Serve Is Nearly a Century Old
The 1930s-era dress may have been pulled months ago.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
Kim Kardashian Posts Photo With Karlie Kloss, Taylor Swift Fans Think It's a Diss
Hmmmmm.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Kim Kardashian "Has Moved On" From Taylor Swift Drama After 'thanK you aIMee' Release, Source Claims
She doesn't care, apparently.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Kim Kardashian Confirms to Jimmy Kimmel Whether the Weirdest Rumors About Her Are True or Not
Emphasis on the WEIRDEST rumors.
By Fleurine Tideman Published
-
Kim Kardashian Loses 100,000 Followers on Social Media—Is Taylor Swift to Blame?
"Finally someone stood up to Aimee."
By Meghan De Maria Published
-
Did Taylor Swift Diss Kim Kardashian on 'The Tortured Poets Department?'
What is happening???
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Charli D'Amelio Says Kim Kardashian "Inspired" Her to Work on Prison Reform
The social media star has partnered with REFORM Alliance.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
The Kardashian Sisters Take Us On a Tour of Turks and Caicos Through Their Instagram Content
Their swim style did not disappoint.
By Fleurine Tideman Published
-
Even 13 Years Later, Kourtney Kardashian Barker Can’t Help But Troll Her Sister Kim Kardashian Over That Diamond Earrings Moment
Mom Kris Jenner jumped in on the fun, too.
By Rachel Burchfield Published